Lovelust
by AnonxDemure
Summary: An aristocrat at birth, financial difficulties and family struggles have resulted in the relocation of Ai and her brother Soza to Sunagakure where they now live frugally. Ai becomes associated with a beautiful blue eyed angel whom many brand a monster.


I assumed Sunagakure a plain of seething flames scorching the sands; miserable, sweltering waves radiating at every corner of this wasteland. My brother, handsome dark features coalescing into an equally charming grin, beckoned outward into the distance.

"Can you see it now?"

Perspiration lingered on my coiled palms. My teal eyes focused upward at the battered shack resting plaintively on the crest of a hill. The edges of my dry lips curled upwards, an evident lack of appreciation notable in their exaggerated pleasure. Still, my sibling sought unseen comfort from the abandoned shelter. As we neared the top of the incline, blurred details surrounding the shed began to take form.

The structure was about the size of a cramped office building composed entirely of rotting wood. Yellow paint peeled from edges of the cracked lumber; wide gaps apparent in the material. The door screeched rebelliously as my brother wrestled with the rusted hinges. Inside, we were met with thick cobwebs illuminated by sunlight emitting from the doorway. My stomach turned relentlessly. Would this really become our _home_?

He looked down at me with a broad grin "It's only temporary, but I think it will look nice once we fix it up a bit."

I assured him with a stiff nod, wishing silently that his skepticism was contagious. What was it that he sought in such a place? His amiable gaze, as though we had stumbled across a magnificent palace, brought bright red rage into my cheeks. I twitched and sneered, making every attempt to collect my patience as he admired this unwelcoming hut (I refused, to this day, to call **that** a home).

The remainder of our afternoon consisted of his incomprehensible attempt at restoring the shack while I, still restraining agitation, offered to collect firewood nearby. Hands snug in the pockets of my torn dress, I kicked a pebble along the sandy pathway leading into the village. In all truth, I lacked any intention of further dirtying my bone dry fingers. Distantly, the crackling of grease on a fire made my eyes swell with tears, hunger tearing through the flesh on my already thin bones. A sudden wave of dizziness swept my malnourished body to the ground. Desolate onlookers were seldom surprised by the lacking health in occasional by passers; even someone as young as myself. My vision became dull and breathing unsteady. In those moments I prayed for nothing more than to be back in my father's arms, fixating upward at the uneven stubble and tired eyes that had raised me. At least there, under the affluent watch of his compelling gaze, was warmth and restfulness.

Moments passed. My nails dug down into the gritty, biscuit-colored earth, slightly burning the delicate, depleted tissue. Life seemed somehow insignificant at this point; incomparable to the blessing of wealth and class that our deceased family name had once reflected. There was nothing left but a false sense of gratitude for my brother's actions. I wanted to die.

"_Did you fall?"_ A kind voice was suddenly at my side. I recoiled my numbed finger tips from the soil, turning my face toward the tender tone of the child. Our eyes locked; light blue orbs and a delicate smile easing my flushed skin tone. Inexplicably, the urge to get up and sprint away obligated me; however, my reaction was limited to courtesy as I simply returned his inquiry with the flashing of my teeth. A moment later, he had guided me to my trembling feet and I was at a loss for words, somehow filled with intimidation for the boy who could barely reach my chest in height. _"Are you hurt?"_

I shook my head. A sudden ghostly moan from my gut brought only further uneasiness into an already awkward situation.

"_Hungry?"_

I involuntarily nodded. Seconds later the child presented a handful of coin, which I quickly and unappreciatively snatched. The compassion in his expression remained unchanged. Gaping downward at the overwhelming weight in my small hands, I suddenly realized how ill-mannered my reproach had seemed and intending to ask him to join me, turned upward to see that the boy, like a vision or an intangible angel, had faded.


End file.
